Lazio, Gattuso: “Serie A title? The target is 40 points. I didn’t expect to be up there at the top. Player sales in January? I hope not. Zenica? I’m not looking for redemption. In difficult moments, I lean on my wife. Even when I’ve taken blows to the ...
Lazio have no plans to slow down as they share top spot with Inter. They host Cagliari at the Olimpico in a tricky fixture that could prove crucial, with their league rivals facing each other.
At a press conference, Gennaro Gattuso played down talk of the Serie A title to ease the pressure on his team. He insisted they can stay so high up the table only by working hard and running more than the others.
Tactical changes
“We’ll see today and continue what we’ve been doing with the tests. A lot depends on whether the players have recovered or not. Yesterday’s tests show that the players are recovering well. We pushed a bit yesterday; we’ve done little over the past few days and, with the 3 matches, we’ve taken it easier. We’ll see what the latest data tell us today.”
Italy and Zenica? I’m not looking for redemption
“A little redemption for what was said after Zenica? No redemption. Football is made up of incidents; in that match, they condemned us and me. That is a fact. In life, you pay for your mistakes. The beauty of football is that it allows you to redeem yourself. The important thing is to improve, not to get downhearted. The people close to you give you that support and help you if they care about you. I’m fortunate to have had the same wife for 30 years. She has always been there in difficult times, and I lean on her a lot when things are difficult.”
Cagliari
“A tough match because of their characteristics and the way they play. They set up with a back three against teams that play with a back three. They can use different players up front, but their characteristics remain the same. They defend well and break well; Pisacane is young and coaches them well. It has the makings of a difficult game. They had lots of shots on goal against Roma. We must keep doing what we are doing, with vigour and desire. We need the right attitude and desire; we must play our football and be humble. Playing against AC Milan and Juventus is easy; those games prepare themselves. We need to maintain our consistency and respect our opponents by going at 100 an hour.”
Serie A title? No, the target is 40 points
“The target is 40 points (usually enough to stay up). The players say that too; I don't know whether they're making fun of me or saying it out of superstition. I'm not used to seeing league tables like this. We have a path: to prepare ourselves. We can see for ourselves that things go better when we play with enthusiasm. At Reggio Emilia, we conceded a goal and immediately got going again. We must not let events overwhelm us. We also have to expect and accept the odd counter-attack. We must keep working without becoming complacent. There are 29 matches left and a lot of points to play for. Then we'll see where we end up.”
Lose someone in January?
“Am I worried about the January transfer window? I’m not thinking about it. I know this world well. I know how it works; agents do their job. Given the relationship I have with my players, no one has come to me so far, and I hope no one does. I could lock the door... Joking aside, right now I’m only thinking about the team and giving strength to the players who need to improve. Then we’ll see what happens. I hope nothing does, because it would be a shame.”
The referees
“Last year I travelled a lot and watched a lot of matches as national-team manager. The league was not as good as it is this year, and the improvements are clear: the amount of playing time has increased, as has what teams are offering. We have moved a little closer to the Premier League style. There are lots of goals, and we have seen records set in individual rounds of matches. There is no playacting: when you take a knock, you stay off for one minute. Not wasting time over throw-ins is an incredible change. We have always complained about trying to be clever. There will be time to discuss refereeing errors later. I argued with my players in training while acting as the referee, then afterwards I went through it with the match analyst and saw that I had got three decisions wrong. Refereeing is difficult. It is true that there is also VAR, but it depends on the guidelines and how they organise things. Today, credit is due: the football is more fluid and faster, and I am happy about that.”
Lotito
“I speak to the president often. He is very involved, and tonight he is coming for a meal, as he has done on other home matchdays. It is right that he is there and speaks to the players. Of course, he sees some things differently from me, but there is great respect and communication between us.”
I didn’t think I’d be up there at the top
“As a group, yes, I thought we could do it this way. Given what happened last year... a lot of teams have 'fallen apart'. Now they're keeping going; they're eager to listen and stick together. To train and work hard, when you really put in the effort... and I can assure you that on some afternoons, your legs and muscles burn. Of course, I would never have thought we'd have this many points after nine matchdays. I hoped we would, but I never expected it. The objectives were different: to work and keep going. That's what we need to do now, with our desire undiminished.”
Zaccagni
“He often didn't come when I was the national-team head coach because he wasn't well, but I've always liked him. People talk about assists and goals, but Zac is exceptional in other ways. Everyone knows his footballing qualities; he needed to build strength in his legs. A true captain, always there for his team-mates, he sometimes grumbles because he doesn't want to give an inch. He's hugely important to us, not just technically and tactically, but in every respect. If I were one of Zac's team-mates, I'd put him in a glass display cabinet: he never puts a foot wrong as a person.”
Fire within
“I get emotional even when I play cards with my son. I want to win. If I don't feel any emotion or get that tingling sensation, I'd be better off going for walks with the dog. When I've taken a beating, I've always had that fire inside me. I live for these things. I felt alive, and I thanked them for the spectacle they put on. On Tuesday, it felt like a Serie A title celebration. It didn't feel like the ninth matchday, but as though we were playing for something important. The credit goes to the lads and their mentality. They've created this excitement, and we hope to keep it going.”
